Category: Field Trips

Gwinnett Master Gardeners joined Master Gardeners throughout Georgia for a special “Master Gardeners Day” hosted by Gibbs Gardens and the Georgia Master Gardeners Association. We enjoyed small group educational tours led by Master Gardeners who have detail experience and knowledge of the Gardens.  The gardens were in full daffodil bloom and the weather was delightful. Jim Gibbs spoke on his 25 year vision, the gardens development and plans for future opportunities as we gathered under the event tent for lunch.  He answered questions and gave tips on how we can use his concepts to enhance gardens of any size.

Gwinnett County Master Gardeners experienced the best of spring at the 25th Silver Anniversary Southeastern Flower Show hosted by the Southeastern Horticultural Society at the Cobb Galleria Centre.  The theme for this year’s event was “What’s Old is New Again” and featured magnificent gardens and fine antiques. The event promoted conservation and awareness of the natural environment through education, horticultural excellence, and art.  In addition to  garden displays, exhibits, and educational speakers, garden-related shopping was plentiful. Many GCMGA members volunteered to design and setup a variety of booths for the show, and served as hosts to help make this event a success.

Our first 2013 GCMGA field trip was a held on January 23rd with a visit to the Johns Creek Environmental Campus (JCEC) located on the borders of Gwinnett, DeKalb and Fulton Counties adjacent to the Chattahoochee River.  The field trip included members from all three county Master Gardener Associations. Over 1,000 new trees and shrubs, featuring plants native to our area, blend the facility into the public open areas.  The JCEC is unique in that it combines aesthetic beauty with state-of-the-art technology to create a facility that performs a vital role while being a good neighbor.   The landscape includes a series of walking trails, a pond and stream system complete with a covered bridge, and specially designed storm water bio retention facilities that help clean storm water runoff. Steve Sanchez, Landscape Architect, provided a presentation on “Using More Natives in the Landscape – the Challenges and Benefits.”  We enjoyed a discussion…